Russia’s Defence Ministry said on Saturday its forces in Ukraine would maintain a ceasefire it unilaterally declared to observe Orthodox Christmas until midnight, despite Ukraine rejecting the truce offer.
In its daily briefing, the ministry said its troops had only returned artillery fire when fired upon by Ukrainian forces, whom it accused of shelling civilian areas, something Kyiv often accuses Russian forces of.
Exchanges of artillery fire were reported in Kreminna and Bakhmut in Eastern Ukraine after the start of Moscow’s order for its forces to maintain a unilateral truce from midday Friday until the end of Saturday.
Ukraine rejected Moscow’s ceasefire offer as a cynical trick designed to give Russian forces the chance to rest and re-arm and said it would continue to try to recapture territory seized by Moscow.
President Vladimir Putin on Saturday praised the Russian Orthodox Church for supporting Moscow’s forces fighting in Ukraine in an Orthodox Christmas message.
The Kremlin issued Putin’s message after the Russian leader attended an Orthodox Christmas Eve service on his own inside a Kremlin cathedral rather than joining other worshippers in a public celebration.
In his message, accompanied on the Kremlin website by an image of him standing before religious icons, Putin made it clear that he saw the Russian Orthodox Church as an important stabilizing force for society at a time he has cast as a historical clash between Russia and the West over Ukraine and other issues.
“It is deeply gratifying to note the enormous constructive contribution of the Russian Orthodox Church and other Christian denominations in unifying society, preserving our historical memory, educating youth and strengthening the institution of family,” Putin said.
“Church organizations prioritize … supporting our warriors taking part in the special military operation [in Ukraine]. Such massive, complex and truly selfless work deserves sincere respect.”
On Friday, Putin ordered a 36-hour ceasefire for the celebrations, but Kyiv rejected it as Moscow’s ploy to buy time and regroup, and Russian and Ukrainian forces exchanged artillery fire after the announcement.
Shortly before the ceasefire was meant to start, rockets slammed into a residential building in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk close to the eastern front line, damaging 14 homes, but there were no casualties as many people have fled.
Shelling continues from both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict after the start of a Kremlin-proposed 36-hour ceasefire.
Many Orthodox Christians celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7, but the Russian Orthodox Church’s backing of Moscow’s war in Ukraine has angered many Ukrainian Orthodox believers and splintered the worldwide Orthodox Church.
Of 260 million Orthodox Christians in the world, about 100 million are in Russia itself, and some of those abroad are in unity with Moscow.
Others are strongly opposed, however, and reject Moscow’s assertion that its Feb. 24 invasion last year was an essential pre-emptive strike to defend its own security and that of Russian speakers in Ukraine.
Ukraine has about 30 million Orthodox believers, divided between the Ukrainian Orthodox Church of the Moscow Patriarchate and two other Orthodox Churches — one of which is the autocephalous, or independent, Ukrainian Orthodox Church.